Private bus fares soar as IndiGo flight disruptions leave thousands scrambling for alternatives

Widespread disruptions in IndiGo’s flight operations over the past few days have triggered chaos for travellers across major routes, leading to a surge in private bus fares.

With last-minute cancellations leaving passengers stranded, demand for alternative modes of travel has skyrocketed and so have ticket prices, according to passengers in the city.

The rush has led to long-distance premium bus services being packed to capacity. Travellers heading to major cities said they were enduring 14-to 24-hour road journeys on routes that would normally take two to four hours by air.

Commuters on the Bengaluru–Mumbai route were among the worst affected. Bus operators sharply raised fares, in many cases surpassing the original cost of flight tickets. Seats that usually cost between ₹2,000 and ₹2,500 were being sold for anywhere between ₹3,000 and ₹8,000, leaving many passengers outraged and accusing operators of profiteering during a crisis.

Similar fare spikes were reported on routes from Bengaluru to Hyderabad, Pune, Belagavi, Chennai, and Ahmedabad, where travellers had little choice but to pay inflated prices. With trains running full and airfares surging after the cancellations, many passengers said they were left with no affordable options.

‘Taking advantage’

Rajesh Kumar, a Mumbai resident employed at a private firm in Koramangala, said, “I had booked my IndiGo ticket to Mumbai for ₹6,500 on Friday, but it was cancelled with no alternative offered. The refund came, but now I’m forced to book a bus seat for ₹7,500. A bus journey costing more than a flight ticket is unbelievable. Operators know we are desperate and are using the situation to squeeze every rupee out of us.”

Nataraj Sharma, president of the Karnataka Private Bus Owners’ Association, admitted that some operators had raised fares sharply.

“We strongly condemn the exploitation of passengers during moments of distress. A majority of private bus operators in Karnataka have not resorted to such practices. However, we are aware that a few, particularly certain out-of-State operators who enter the market only during high-demand situations, have taken advantage of stranded travellers. This is not reflective of the industry as a whole, and we will be advising our members to maintain fair pricing.”

Monitoring closely

Transport Department officials said they were monitoring the situation closely.

“If any private operator is found to have arbitrarily increased fares to unreasonable levels, we will initiate strict action,” an official said, adding that enforcement teams had been instructed to verify complaints and take action wherever necessary.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) officials said that their fares remained unchanged. They confirmed a rise in demand on routes to Mumbai, as well as on the Mangaluru–Pune and Mangaluru–Mumbai sectors.

“To accommodate the increased passenger load, a few additional buses have been deployed on these routes,” a senior KSRTC official told The Hindu.